At precisely 7 a.m., the four-day ceasefire, brokered by Qatar between Israel and Hamas, came into effect. In the hours leading up to this temporary truce, rocket sirens blared in Israeli towns along the Gaza border, and there were reports of intense IDF shelling in Gaza as the military aimed to advance its mission against Hamas in the final moments before the pause. At 4 p.m., 13 hostages held in Gaza will be released, followed by an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails, as per Qatari mediators. During the upcoming four days, a minimum of 50 women and children are scheduled to regain their freedom, leaving approximately 190 still in the custody of Palestinian militants. In the same timeframe, around 150 Palestinian prisoners, primarily women and minors, some convicted of attempted murder, are anticipated to be released. The agreement encourages further hostage releases, with Israel agreeing to extend the ceasefire by an extra day for every ten additional hostages released by Hamas. Moreover, the agreement facilitates the delivery of fuel and humanitarian aid to Gaza during this ceasefire. This marks the first cessation of hostilities since Hamas initiated the war nearly seven weeks ago when its terrorists carried out a rampage through southern Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and the taking of 240 hostages. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)